Great idea from Rolling Stone: A time-travel ticket to the baseball game of your choice

Rolling Stone isn’t a place I normally look for baseball news, but the hard rocking magazine came up with a gem today. Writer Dan Epstein posed the question to several musicians: if you could travel back in time to one game, what would it be?

Epstein himself chose a 1976 game between the Tigers and Yankees in New York when Mark “The Bird” Fidrych flew into national prominence with his quirk-enhanced brilliant pitching. I have to admit, Epstein’s pick is a dandy one.

The celebrity answers are great, too. I’m partial to those by Steve Earle (Game 7 of the ’52 series featuring Billy Martin’s legendary catch) and George Thoroughgood (The 16-inning Spahn-Marichal marathon between the Braves and Giants in ’63).

Given my allegiance to the Indians and Giants, I’d be compelled to see Willie Mays catch Vic Wertz’s drive at the Polo Grounds in the ’54 World Series, which pretty much set the tone for my hometown of Cleveland in the second half of the 20th century.

The history buff in me would argue for a Dead Ball Era game, maybe to see Connie Mac’s Million Dollar Infield play in Philadelphia or to boo ‘dem bums in Brooklyn.

As this post is going up on what would have been my dad’s 92nd birthday, I’d like most to go back to any one of those twi-night doubleheaders we used to catch at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The ride in along the shore, the long walk to the ticket booth, the cavernous horseshoe looking out on Lake Erie, keeping score while cheering on the Tribe long into the night, hoping that this might just be the year.

5 responses to “Great idea from Rolling Stone: A time-travel ticket to the baseball game of your choice”

Interesting topic, Dan. I’d choose Game Six of the 1986 N.L. Championship Series between the Mets and the Astros. It was the greatest game I have ever seen in my life, but I only got to see it on T.V. I’d love to have been there to witness it live.